Zephyrus. The Oh Hellos

With Zephyrus the circle is round. Four mini albums, together a fraction under 80 minutes all in. The Oh Hellos end its windy cycle in style. Zephyrus is a solid rock of neo folk. A kind of album deserving attention in neo-folk circles and beyond. The band manages to go from the small and delicate to the mighty and forceful within a song, without forcing itself. It comes and goes naturally, like the wind can and does.

The opening song, 'Rio Grande', underscores this directly. Opening ever so lightly with Maggie Heath's high and fragile folk voice. Traditional, acoustic folk instruments adorn her voice. As soon as her brother Tyler joins in, force is all around her in sound, instruments and singing, to calm down again later on. Like a mighty river can swell, to use another metaphor for what is going on in 'Rio Grande'. The song is a showcase for what a band can do with folk music in 2020.

As such Zephyrus is a nice cap stone of the four albums. It brings it all together and reiterates all the strengths The Oh Hellos brought to its previous albums. The album shows the progression the band has made as songwriters and in recording them. There is no fear of making a grand statement caught in music nor to make its music as vulnerable as can be. Small and fragile in the face of potential torrents and storms without ever breaking. This is the vision I see in front of me while listening to Zephyrus. Just listen how 'Theseus' unwinds and the different moods it captures so successfully.

This album grandstands where The Oh Hellos are at in 2020. The duo has become a band of great proportions that in my opinion leaves the hey-ho or ho-hey scene far behind them. Neo-folk is a starting point not a dogma. The instruments are still laying about and inspire the Heaths obviously. A drum kit is there as well and can be pounded on like in the single 'Soap'. Electric guitars are a part of the gear and are used just like the amps and they go together well. Rock songs with mandolin? You don't have to be called Dropkicks Murphys to pull of that feat. 'Soap' ends like a monolith (except for those final two lines).

The best was saved for last though. 'Rounds' is a magical song where stardust is sprinkled in my ears during the intro of the song. Slowly building bigger and larger. For the first verse it is taken down completely. Just an acoustic guitar and a duet between brother and sister Heath. An ever so delicate ending to a beautiful cd.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Zephyrus here:

https://music.theohhellos.com/

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g